A Decay of Control: Toxoplasmosis or The Crazy Cat Lady Syndrome

I must be the luckiest person on earth. I've kissed all kinds of animals & they've all kissed me back.
Years ago, a visitor at my parent's house saw my pet snake crawling between my glasses & my eye & he said I was going to get sick with Salmonella." I laughed so hard, I had to sit down.
 
People should not kiss cats. Ick.
I have been kissing cats since I was seven or eight years old. My son as a baby and through childhood, lived with
multiple cats, and also kissed them. Neither of us became ill. He and his wife have three cats. No health issues. I

would be more concerned about the health risks around kissing people. Sure, one can become infected with cat induced toxoplasmosis, but it is unlikely.
 
After watching that video and posted it, I started backing off the daily petting, massage (intimacy). We have 2 cats. I have come to love them very much. Now, I wonder how intimate I should be. I think I will be washing my hands and keeping the counter tops clean now. :)
 
For me, the small chance of infection is clearly outweighed by the huge benefits of a close relationship with pets. Dogs also can transmit a variety of infections. There are also asymptomatic Infections one can catch from humans. I don’t want to live in a touch free world. I would wither away. Life is a terminal disease, regardless.
 
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People have died from a skinned knee or the common cold.
One court case I watched was really sad. A woman swam in a swimming pool & ended up having her leg amputated at the hip because she had a minor scrape in her skin (like we all do) & some kind of bacteria that's present in any swimming pool attacked her leg.
 
A vet once told me that people raised with pets from early childhood are far less likely to be infected with such diseases, just as doctors indicate allowing one’s children to become dirty, play in the dirt, eat raw veggies from the

garden, etc, serves to assist them in building a robust immune system. Also reduces the chance of developing allergies at a later date. My son’s father’s family have horrendous allergies, some life threatening. My son has none. I took the doctor’s advice.
 
I just remembered, before we could convince the doctors to remove my son’s tonsils, he had strep throat several times. I never caught it once. It is highly contagious. My GP was amazed, the naturopath was not. I grew up with five cats and a dog,

mucked about in the garden, crawled through culverts with my friends. I lived across the road from the ocean. Swam in the sea, sat on a crowded beach every summer. Who knows what germs I was exposed to? Scads of tourists arrived during July and August.
 
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I've never kissed a cat, though I have petted, rubbed, massaged, hugged, carried, admired, and enjoyed their company. There is no law against kissing a cat. I just would never do it because they lick their butts clean then spread the same saliva all over themselves. Have a habit of washing my hands after cuddling too. Good luck.
 

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